The Lord of the Rings

Last Update: 23 February 2004
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THE LORD OF THE RINGS
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers
The Return of the King

The book of the 20th Century has become
the motion picture event of the 21st Century: A groundbreaking
epic of good versus evil, extraordinary heroes, wondrous creatures
and dark armies of terror. New Line presents a grand trilogy
of live-action feature films -- starting with The Fellowship
of the Ring -- that takes audiences inside Tolkiens
living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth.

Congratulations to
the cast of LOTR:ROTK for the 2004 SAG Award for
Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

Sean Astin
Sean Bean
Cate Blanchett
Orlando Bloom
Billy Boyd

Bernard Hill
Ian Holm
Ian McKellen
Dominic Monaghan
Viggo Mortensen

John Noble
Miranda Otto
John Rhys-Davies
Andy Serkis
Liv Tyler

Karl Urban
Hugo Weaving
David Wenham
Elijah Wood

BERNARD HILL: The ensemble qualities
of this award go way beyond the cast I think. I think everyone
here realizes that we sit atop a kind of pyramid of talent, we
actors. Because we cant do what we do without the whole
structure beneath us, and I think were all very aware of
that, and very appreciative of the producers, the writers, the
directors, and the make-up people, and the people who arrange
the trailers in a circle and keep them warm for us in the morning,
and make sure that weve got coffee and tea and things that
keep us going during the day, and all that kind of stuff. We
havent got very long, but we thank the [laughs] here
comes the next president of the United States. [laughter]

We thank the Screen Actors Guild and everybody who voted for
us. Thank you very much. [applause]

SEAN ASTIN: Our king one
of our kings. A couple of them arent here, Elijah Wood
is not here, and Viggo Mortensen is not here, and Orlando Blooms
not here, but theyre with us in spirit.

Click on this thumbnail
to see the fullsize poster from New Line Cinema congratulating
the cast of ROTK for winning the 2003 National Board of Review's
Best Acting by an Ensemble award.
(Sean is included, third from the right.)
(Thanks to TORN
for the scan)

Generations of more than 50 million people
around the globe, in 25 different languages have grown up with
this epic history. The legend has inspired an entire genre of
movies, fiction, and has influenced some of the greatest artists
of our time. It has made dreamers out of children and adults,
and has recently been named the number one most popular book
of the century. But it has never been told in its entirety on
the screen.

Using the power of contemporary cinema technology,
New Line Cinema is proud to transform J.R.R. Tolkiens The
Lord of the Rings into a history-making motion picture event.
New Line presents a grand trilogy of live-action feature films
-- The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The
Return of the King -- that takes audiences inside Tolkiens
living, breathing mythology, the world that is Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings
collectively re-tells the story of Frodo Baggins, who battles
against the Dark Lord, Sauron to save Middle-earth from the grip
of evil. In the films, Frodo and The Fellowship embark on a desperate
journey to rid the earth of the source of Saurons greatest
strength, the One Ring, a ring of such power that it cannot be
destroyed. His extraordinary adventures across the treacherous
landscape of Middle-earth reveal how the power of friendship
and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay.

By shooting all three films consecutively
during one massive production and post-production schedule, New
Line Cinema made history. Never before had such a monumental
undertaking been contemplated or executed. The commitment of
time, resources and manpower were unheard of as all three films
and more than 1,000 effects shots were being produced concurrently
with the same director and core cast. Helmer Peter Jackson, whose
visionary style of filmmaking and emotional acuity won accolades
for his Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners,
brought his deep love for the source material to the project.

The film features a strong international cast
that includes (in alphabetical order) Sean Astin, Sean Bean,
Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Ian Holm,
Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen,
John Rhys-Davis, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood. But
the real star of the film is the story itself -- a classic heros
quest in which the smallest of beings changes the course of the
future with the vastness of his courage.

Set in a mythic pre-history, The Lord of
the Rings tells the saga of a desperate battle against encroaching
evil - a perilous quest to save humanity which falls upon the
shoulders of a young hobbit, Frodo Baggins, who has inherited
a seemingly innocent magic ring from his elderly cousin Bilbo.

However Frodo soon learns that the ring's
original maker, the Dark Lord Sauron, is desperately seeking
it - for it is a ring of great evil which will enable Sauron
to enslave the people of this land known as Middle Earth. A hurriedly
assembled fellowship of wizard, elf, dwarf and men accompany
Frodo and his friends on a harrowing mission across Middle Earth
in an attempt to destroy the ring by casting it into the volcanic
fires in the Crack of Doom. Against them rages the monstrous
power of Sauron, whose sinister emissaries ruthlessly pursue
Frodo and his companions, while the omnipotent power of the ring
attempts to corrupt the fellowship from within.

Thanks to www.theonering.net
for this still photo from the first LOTR trailer.
For a frame by frame analysis of the first LOTR trailer (with
pictures), click here.

Tolkien's trilogy, first published in the
mid-1950s, was intended as a sequel to The Hobbit, the
Oxford University professor's first literary success. The novels
were set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, an invented prehistory
era populated with hobbits, elves, trolls, orcs and men. The
books' good-versus-evil struggle focuses on Frodo Baggins, a
young hobbit who embarks on a harrowing quest across Middle-earth,
hoping to destroy the Magic Ring of Invisibility before it falls
into the hands of the Dark Lord Sauron, a sinister tyrant bent
on enslaving humanity.

The Lord of the Rings
is set in a mythical world populated by several different races
or types of "people." These are Hobbits (Frodo, Sam,
Merry, Pippin and Bilbo); Elves (Elrond, Arwen, and Legolas);
Dwarves (Gimli); and Humans (Aragorn, Gandalf, Boromir, Denethor,
Theoden, Faramir and Eowyn).

This long-awaited screen presentation of The
Lord of the Rings trilogy was shot exclusively in New Zealand
over a period of 438 days, with post-production adding the same
length of time again. At three years in the making, this is the
largest production ever to be mounted in the Southern Hemisphere.

Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriters Peter
Jackson and Fran Walsh, with Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair,
this technically challenging production assembled an international
cast, utilizing over 20,000 extras' days, employing a crew of
2,500 (including award-winning high profile technicians from
both within and outside of New Zealand), and features 77 speaking
parts and 1200 state-of-the-art computer generated effects shots.
Budget for the three films was reported to be $270 million.

Peter Jackson's Wellington-based production
company, Wingnut Films Limited, together with the special effects
company WETA Limited, were involved in developing and designing
this realization of the Tolkien classic for more than two years.
During this time a stunning array of miniatures, creatures, prosthetic
effects and armor were created to bring the grandeur and spectacle
of Tolkien's richly evocative Middle-earth to life on the screen.

WETA Limited, New Zealand's leading Special
Effects house, focused all of its efforts on this one project.
Dedicated to meeting the exacting visual and technical requirements
of Director Peter Jackson, WETA Digital developed its own proprietary
programs and used state-of-the-art motion control, blue screen
and forced perpective techniques to achieve his vision. The people
and creatures who populate Middle-earth, as well as their homes,
cities (and lairs) were conceptualized by WETA Workshop with
the guidance of Alan Lee and John Howe. Alan and John are internationally
recognized Tolkien artists.

Geologically a young country, New Zealand
is a wild mix of diverse terrain, which brings with it a sense
of grandeur and antiquity. Peter Jackson used the peace and tranquility
of New Zealand's rolling pastoral farmland, the rugged beauty
of the North Island's volcanic plateaus, and the majesty of the
South Island's snow capped Southern Alps to bring the screen
his interpretation of how Britain, Tolkien's Middle-earth, might
have looked 7,000 years ago.

Principal photography on the trilogy began
October 11, 1999 and wrapped on December 22, 2000.

Click on the thumbnail
to
see a larger version
of this Oscar ad.

Click here
for coverage of the World Premiere in London, December 10, 2001